What Are Some Treatments That Use Lipodissolve Injections?

Medical spas and other facilities offering lipodissolve injections claim that they treat excess fat deposits, male breast enlargement, lipomas and surgical deformities, reports the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As of 2015, the FDA has not approved any lipodissolve injection products and has warned companies against making false statements about their effectiveness and safety. No medical evidence exists that the injections work, and they sometimes cause severe side effects.

Although U.S. and foreign medical spas assert that lipodissolve injections have excellent safety records and work better than liposuction in eliminating fat, they have offered no clinical studies or other evidence of the veracity of their claims, explains the FDA. Patients receiving lipodissolve treatment report negative side effects, such as deformation of their skin, permanent scars and painful knots deep under the skin in injection areas.

The drugs, minerals, vitamins and herbal extracts that companies use in lipodissolve treatments are not all FDA-approved for injections, cautions WebMD. Recognized plastic surgeons belonging to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery back the FDA warning and emphasize that many companies use grandiose marketing to tout treatments without research data or evidence of safety.

Consumers should beware of weight-loss promises that do not involve exercise and diet, warns the FDA. Because the FDA does not regulate weight-loss products and dietary supplements, many contain unsafe ingredients, such as prescription drugs, seizure medications and controlled substances.